By IANS
Raipur : The Chhattisgarh assembly is set to hold a special sitting Thursday to discuss the growing Maoist menace in the state and form a strategy to deal with the rebels.
"Assembly members will have an open discussion in the house on Thursday to firm up a strategy to contain the militants and their relentless attacks," a minister in the BJP government told IANS. "The house will debate the issue as the extremists have crossed all limits."
The closed-door session will not be open to the media. Chief Secretary Shivraj Singh, Principal Secretary (home) S.V. Prabhat and Director General of Police Vishwaranjan will be present.
Chhattisgarh has been the worst hit among the 13 Maoist-affected states in India. In 2005, tribals in the Bastar region launched the Salwa Judum (campaign for peace) movement against the extremists. They were later supported by the state government with arms and monetary back up.
The continuing battle between the militants, the police and the civil militia cadre have so far forced over 50,000 people, mostly tribals, to desert their forested villages and settle in dozens of government-run refugee camps.
One of the deadliest attacks by the Maoists was on a police camp in Bastar in March when 55 policemen were massacred.
The last major strike by the rebels was on July 9 when guerrillas killed 24 security personnel, including 16 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men, in a fierce gun battle.
Police estimate that about 5,000 Maoists armed with AK-47 rifles, mortar, rocket launchers and landmines are active in the state, backed by another 20,000 cadres who carry self-loading rifles and traditional weapons like bows and arrows and axes.